Under existing legalisation, the "head of household" was required to register all residents who were eligible to vote. The act changed the registration procedure, introducing Individual Electoral Registration,[1] and requiring eligible voters to provide the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland with their signature, date of birth, National Insurance number and current residence. The act also required voters to present a photographic identity card at a polling station before casting a vote, with the Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card created for voters without an acceptable form of ID.

Introduced to counter lack of public confidence in the electoral process in Northern Ireland, the Act was found to have improved public perceptions, and returning officers also reported a marked reduction in suspected incidences of voting fraud.[2] The implementation was not without costs, however. In August 2002 the last register of electors compiled under the old system contained nearly 1.2 million names, while the first register under the new system, published in December 2002, contained less than 1.1 million names, losing some 120,000 names for a net reduction of 10%.[2]